They could just start reprinting old sets, they'd still make a shiatload of money from all of the (non-licensed) settings. Both from nostalgic parents as well as kids. Pirates, spacemen, knights, they're all still cool.

God-is-a-Taco:Oh, and as for the article: This shows how much LEGO has changed.

[i.dailymail.co.uk image 634x425]

Look at that crap. How much of that is actually assembled by the kid? There's probably a base model that's 90% of the thing itself, and there's nothing you can do creatively with it.There's puzzles for that thing, even 3D puzzles. LEGOs should be stimulating young minds about turning concepts into designs.This is a train. It will always be a train. You can't modify it, because then it wouldn't be a train.

Tell you what, how about you pick one up (as pointed out, it is still available through the secondary market), and put it together without the instructions. Even a close approximation will do. Then get back to us with pictures. This very same set is on my desk shelf beside me, it's a great piece of modelling because it hardly looks like the pile of assorted tiny bits it comes out of the box as. I do get a chuckle every time something about Lego comes up here, because inevitably someone will come along and assert that having fewer tools available to you somehow increases the creative space. Having a wider selection of parts increases the possibility space, pretty much by definition, and it follows from there that it increases the amount of creative and logical thinking one can do with it.

I just realized this is the same argument I had here a while back about something or other to do with D&D, in which it was asserted that getting to know the full range of options and mechanical depth of the game (and using that knowledge to your advantage, as one commonly does in games) is somehow playing the game worse.

Impeesa:God-is-a-Taco: Oh, and as for the article: This shows how much LEGO has changed.

[i.dailymail.co.uk image 634x425]

Look at that crap. How much of that is actually assembled by the kid? There's probably a base model that's 90% of the thing itself, and there's nothing you can do creatively with it.There's puzzles for that thing, even 3D puzzles. LEGOs should be stimulating young minds about turning concepts into designs.This is a train. It will always be a train. You can't modify it, because then it wouldn't be a train.

Tell you what, how about you pick one up (as pointed out, it is still available through the secondary market), and put it together without the instructions. Even a close approximation will do. Then get back to us with pictures. This very same set is on my desk shelf beside me, it's a great piece of modelling because it hardly looks like the pile of assorted tiny bits it comes out of the box as. I do get a chuckle every time something about Lego comes up here, because inevitably someone will come along and assert that having fewer tools available to you somehow increases the creative space. Having a wider selection of parts increases the possibility space, pretty much by definition, and it follows from there that it increases the amount of creative and logical thinking one can do with it.

I just realized this is the same argument I had here a while back about something or other to do with D&D, in which it was asserted that getting to know the full range of options and mechanical depth of the game (and using that knowledge to your advantage, as one commonly does in games) is somehow playing the game worse.

So many great lessons here. The kid learned how to set a goal and reach it. He then learned about not quitting when he found out that item was no longer manufactured. And he learned that some corporations are great companies. Sure, this is a huge public relations boost for Lego, but do they really need it? They are successful enough already without a story like this. Also, I like the fact that the the letter was not demanding or asking for anything free. He was just asking if they might have any more available. Good for him. And good for Lego.

i collect and build with lego as well, and they are a pretty cool company. but the kid probably could have looked online on ebay or bricklink and found the set he needed without contacting them. sometimes old sets on bricklink don't cost much more than their original retail price, which is cool. but if you do contact lego about missing pieces, they will get back to you right away, they take their customer service seriously.

man i hope that lord of the rings becomes a new massive lego franchise like star wars, with new sets coming out regularly for years and years. they have lego star wars sets for every single kind of ship ever shown in the entire 6 films, and minifigures of every damn minor character in the entire franchise, even expanded universe stuff. i hope they do that with lord of the rings and the hobbit, so i can get minifigures of saruman and sauron and all the dwarves and arwyn and elrond and everybody. i want an official set of the city of minas tirith, dammit.

God-is-a-Taco:Oh, and as for the article: This shows how much LEGO has changed.

[i.dailymail.co.uk image 634x425]

Look at that crap. How much of that is actually assembled by the kid? There's probably a base model that's 90% of the thing itself, and there's nothing you can do creatively with it.There's puzzles for that thing, even 3D puzzles. LEGOs should be stimulating young minds about turning concepts into designs.This is a train. It will always be a train. You can't modify it, because then it wouldn't be a train.

Honest Bender:$229.99 on Amazon The real story should be, "Family and their therapist don't know how to shop online."

What a farking non-story...

From TFA: 'There were some available on e-Bay and Amazon, but they were over $200. That was just too much.'They do know how to shop online.They also know how to play their cards to get stuff and Lego knows how to do PR. Win-win situation, I think.

Giltric:God-is-a-Taco: Oh, and as for the article: This shows how much LEGO has changed.

[i.dailymail.co.uk image 634x425]

Look at that crap. How much of that is actually assembled by the kid? There's probably a base model that's 90% of the thing itself, and there's nothing you can do creatively with it.There's puzzles for that thing, even 3D puzzles. LEGOs should be stimulating young minds about turning concepts into designs.This is a train. It will always be a train. You can't modify it, because then it wouldn't be a train.

Parts list

1085 holy shiat. You do have to build the entire train from scratch. That'll keep him busy for a while.

not sure I understand how this is deserving of it being dusty... I mean here is what happened. Lego employee logged onto Ebay. Ordered the set. Mailed it to the boy who spent two years saving up for it. Ta dah. So really he could have went direct to Ebay and saved himself the time.

I am amazed by all the folks in this thread talking about the legos they remember as kids and they are talking about what seems to me to be really recent things. Stuff like the train set, mini figures, etc just dont come to mind when I think of my childhood time with legos. When I used them (early-mid 1970s) they were all just blocks, or at least the ones that I got were. No people figures, no wheels, no pieces shaped like trains or parts of trains, space shuttles, etc.. I suspect they were better that way since we had to actually use our imagination to build stuff.

This is rougly what I remember legos as:http://www.diapers.com/p/lego-bricks-more-builders-of-tomorrow-set-65 0 -pcs-6177-36818?site=CA&utm_source=cse&utm_medium=cpc_D&utm_term=LG-09 2&utm_campaign=Google&CAWELAID=1338768863&utm_content=pla&cagpspn=pla& ci_kw={keyword}

Third_Uncle_Eno: As an Aspie who loved Lego when I was a kid, I'm getting a kick out of these replies.

I always preferred K'Nex. You could build in a much wider variety of ways. And, if you screwed around with it and were willing to break a few pieces on occasion, you could get some curve in there as well. Of course, they came out with legitimately bendable ones later, but that's no fun.

I made a 2 and a half foot long motorized aircraft carrier with those things, among other projects. Good times.

I've heard of it, but never had it when I was a kid, even thought it was probably a 80's/early 90's thing.....(?)

As a parent of a 9-year-old with ADHD, LEGO are amazing at focusing his attention and creativity. Aside from the simple fact that kids rarely retain the design of the kit per the original instructions, YouTube alone is awash with many ideas for creating ad hoc sets, vehicles, and (obviously) rotating orbital gunnery platforms from existing pieces in various boxed sets. There's a few sets of YT videos with stop-motion Star Wars minifigure adventures that are also entertaining.

My kid converted his younger brother's marina/Baywatch-ish dock set into a combination Star Wars outpost and Ninjago fortress. The LEGO computer games themselves are also ridiculously fun and addictive, so kudos to any parent of a child with a behavioral disorder trying to stimulate their creativity and ingenuity. My son is often amazed at tales of my childhood when we only had a few space-themed sets, nothing that really followed any film or book trends, and the fact we had dozens, not HUNDREDS of sets to choose from. I remember pulling up this page with the 1970s-80s era Space series sets that I had, and I got this look from him like Marty McFly did from the video game kids in 2015. "You mean you gotta use your hands? That's like a baby's toy!"

Now, in a purely Bricktop sense, I will pull my nose out of LEGO's asshole and simply comment that a feel good story is a feel good story and there are damn few of them around these days as it is. Kid wins, LEGO wins, even if at the end of the day not a single fark was given.

/But god, I so wanted a table covered in the old moon/crater plates//wished I'd kept all of it, too. I was meticulous with not losing pieces///My kids nuked that accomplishment, though

work for Lego Part time at Baybrook Mall... one of my all time favorite retail jobs (and I have had a few... even beats Build a Bear... worked there for 5 years)I actually look forward to going to work in the evenings (after my "real" job)... people are great, store is fun...only downside-- I have to mop

My son is a Lego freak (got the part time job for the discount)... we have a rule in the house, and it has served us well...If we buy a set, it stays put together... kid has shelves in his room for the sets...He has 4 HUGE storage tubs of loose Lego's (some from sets before we made the rule, some from my brother in law who is 17 years younger than my husband who didn't want them anymore)...He creates with the tubs of Lego's and has no problem with our "rule"...Some of his tub creations:Lego Stephen Hawking (my personal fav)the Wright Brothers Plane (complete with Darth Vader and Gandolf as the Brothers)a never ending fighter plane... he adds a little every dayA Fleur de Le (New Orleans Saints logo) for a friend (sorry if my spelling is off)An ENORMOUS passenger plane

/10 year old wants to be an architect... obsessed with the modular town sets and the Architecture pieces...//bought him Town Hall for Xmas, Robie House will be bought next 50% off day.

This vaguely reminds me of this time when I was a kid when my mom found this penpals magazine in the library and encouraged me to write to one and then the mother wrote back that the kid grew up and moved out of the house.

1) Farkers are in a rotten mood this weekend. It's a special needs kid who waited and saved. "Welcome to Fark" pics welcome, check my account number, newb.2) Shame on the parents for not ponying up the $120.00 extra on eBay and telling the kid "Hey, good job, you did it!"3) Good on LEGO.

Ima4nic8or:...When I used them (early-mid 1970s) they were all just blocks, or at least the ones that I got were. No people figures, no wheels, no pieces shaped like trains or parts of trains, space shuttles, etc.

No, Lego certainly had all those special blocks back in the '70s. You sound poor.